Serena Williams achieved many incredible things in tennis, but few realize that she was the last female player to successfully defend a Grand Slam title.
Winning a Grand Slam is exceptionally difficult, as it requires a player to win seven matches in a row to claim the trophy. Maintaining a high level of performance throughout those seven matches isn’t easy, and only the very best can manage it.
After all, consistency is what separates the great from the good. Any tennis player has the potential to play one spectacular match, but doing it seven times in the span of 14 days is an entirely different challenge.
While winning is hard, defending the title is even harder, as it comes with added pressure. It’s not impossible, but it tends to happen only at the hands of some of the greatest players ever.
For instance, Serena Williams remains the last female player to have successfully defended a Grand Slam title. As of August 2022, six years have passed since anyone has done it. The last time it happened was when Serena defended her Wimbledon title in 2016.
She won Wimbledon in 2015 by beating Garbine Muguruza and defended it in 2016 by beating Angelique Kerber, and since then, 23 Grand Slams have been contested without a single player defending their trophy.
It’s a remarkable statistic that proves two things. First, it demonstrates just how tough it is to defend a Grand Slam. Second, it highlights just how dominant Serena was at her peak, as she managed to do what others could not.
Since 2016, players like Garbine Muguruza, Ashleigh Barty, Naomi Osaka, and Simona Halep have all won Grand Slams, but none of them were able to defend their titles. It’s still Serena Williams standing tall, just as she has so many times before. That’s why she’s considered the greatest female tennis player of all time.